Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-02-28

4
QsosA by . rAsssaess nagsao - rAo IaAaSA
vallsy-Caseas A3ssWcsa I've TsalneA
0sven Esston boyA their ages ranging
nom II 20 Is years, startod on tramp 10 tho
chain daun, three miles from Easton, Satur.
day morning. A few hours later the bodies
ofsix Of them were brought back ccld In death.
One alone escaped TO tell the story Of the
awful accident An engine on the Lehigh
Valley road had donc the fatal work and its
victims were; John Gregg, aged Is Charles
Bousteir, aged Is; Manning Garis, aged Il,
stspson Of Charles Frey Walter Walter, son
OF Silas Walter, aged l2 Walter Heath, aged
Is, son Of Conductor Heath, Of the Easton
street car line; Willie Pearce, aged IL, son Of
Engineer Dick Pearce, Of the Jersey Central
road.
The six boys, accompanied by Harvey
Pearce, brother OF Willie, left horue at about
8 o'clock. Their expedition WAS to gather
calamus and to hunt musSrs,S They lett
the chain dam shortly after noon on the way
home, taking the ceatre OF one of the tracks
There was a binding snow storm pre-
vailing at the time. They had just
reached short curve when they stepp ed
upon the other track to avoid a coal train.
The noise OF the advancing train deaf.
ened them and the snow blinded them. They
neither heard nor saw the passenger train
that was rushing to ward them on the other
man sec ahead for more than short distance
In an instant the rushing engine was upon
them and scattering the boysin all directions.
Willie Pearce was thrown violently against
his brother, who was thus saved from death.
The blow hurled him to one side out of the
wav of danger and he fell into q snow DRIFT.
Harvey jumped to his feet and looked
around him In . dszed wsv. Near him lsv
his brother. Unhurt himself, he could MOI
realiIs that death was in his midst. lie
bi,p
"iet up, Willie, he cried. What are
You lying there for?"
But Willie did not stir
Harvey shook him again. Then his ewes
Tell upon the boys head. Blood was flowing
from horrible cash in the head and stsining
the snow q crimson hue. Then he real zed
1t all and burst into tears.
The fireman In the passenger train caught
sight of the boys just as the engine dashed
into them and at once notified the engineer.
The train was quickly stopped and backed
up to the scene OF the terrible scciden. All
the bodies were found lying between the
tracks With one exception all had been
killed instantly. Young Garis alone of the
victims WIS alive, but unconscious, and he
died a few minutes later. Each boys skull
was crushed and msngled and one had his
legs and one arm broken. All met death by
being thrown against the coal train and back
against the passenger train, the sides OF
which were spotted with blood.
The bodies were taken from the track and
laid out in row in small building near the
depot Here the coroner viewed them later.
1t was CHASTITY sigh. The engineer of the
fatal engine broke down when told the story
OF the accident aud cried like child.
1--WE left Bethlehem seven minutes late, "
he said, ''and were running at a reduced
speed on account Of the binding snow Storm
which prevented me from seeing anything
on the track. l knew nothing about the &C.
cident uuut my fireman called to me tc
stop; that I had Just struck a lot O! men,
he supposing that they were men employed
on the track. Oh, this is horrible" The
company was exonersted from blame.